Seven Devils In Your Heart
by KavanLostWings
Summary: Cross Orphanage was many things, safe, comforting, and the quickest place to get adopted. It was all those things, except when it came to Zero Kiryu. With his world crumbling around him, he has accepted that no one wanted something broken; something bent and twisted. He would never regain what he lost. But perhaps, that's not as true as he thought. /Au. KanaZero.
1. Personal Hell

Chapter One.

Rating: M.

Pairing: Kaname x Zero.

Warnings: Content may be sensitive to some viewers, includes, abuse to a minor, yaoi in later chapters and adult themes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or anything in relation to it. If they did, Yuuki wouldn't have been a complete flop as a Pureblood, Kaname and Zero would be together, Kaito would bake muffins and the town would actually have a name.

* * *

_Envy._

Spiders that formed from the darkest corners of the mind crawled into cool fingertips, to skitter beneath the tightly drawn flesh, rough and scarred from a world too cruel. A gleam danced in a pair of eyes that had become shaded with repressed emotions, dangerous and boiling. A kettle on the stove, steam rising to curl against the ceiling above, drowning the body in waves of angry heat.

Black and blue prints across his wrists, hidden beneath the small cuffs of his shirt, tinged with pain. But he kept watching. The lilac orbs flirted with the surface of the world beneath wispy silver lashes, the emotionless gaze piercing into the world around him with the sharp edge of a blade to watch the scene before him. Tiny knees pulled up to coil against his chest, while trembling arms rose to wrap around them.

He couldn't look away if he wanted to.

"Such a sweet little girl." The adults praised, their cooing faces filling the observer with disgust.

Yuuki smiled up at them, a warm blush on her cheeks as she laughed in a musical jingle in response to their compliment.

Immediately, they became taken with her. Zero's lips pulled down into a scowl.

Again, he hadn't even been given a chance. He could see it in the way their hands became ruffled into the girl's bright chestnut hair, they had already picked her. The kettle shouted in warning, and Zero tried to sink into the background, clutching his favorite book in a desperate attempt to dwindle the growing _hurt _inside his frame. He brought the book to his face, staring at the words printed in the pages, to try and drown out the world around him. The cut on his back throbbed in pain, a memory of razor blade stabbing into the flesh flashing in his mind. He focused harder on his book.

"And who are you?"

The inquiry made Zero drop the book away from his face a bit, revealing himself to glance up at the pair that had just got done interacting with his only friend in this god forsaken place.

To anyone else, the question wouldn't have been the least bit offensive. What with the soft spoken manner it was pronounced between smiling lips, the way the adults kneeled down to approach him, open warmth basking their forms. One of the adults who had glistening brown locks that curled outward to splay across her shoulders, reached out to pat his head. She looked normal enough. Sweet, too. But Zero saw through it—it was without a doubt, there…in the shadows of her bright emerald gaze…The true reason they had approached him.

Nothing more than…

"Don't pity me." Zero's harsh voice ripped out, a shocked gasp leaving the woman's lips as her hand fell backward at the impact of a much smaller hand hitting it, the silver headed boy's arm outstretched to the side. "I don't need it."

After the shock settled within the woman, she stuttered out an apology, her eyes wide and brewing with confusion. A fabricated defense.

"Save it." Zero growled, unbothered by how upset the young woman was.

The man next to the woman looked appalled, his hand snapping up to cut through the air. "Why you little brat!"

"Wait, stop! D-Don't hurt him!"

The hand became arrested in midair, locks of chocolate reaching out to block the strike, then floating back down to cover a tiny back and drape over the two thin arms splayed out to the sides. Yuuki stood unyielding between Zero and the man. Fat tears were threatening to roll past the protection of her lashes, but she held her ground.

Zero stared at her, eyes blank of emotion.

_Pride._

He didn't need her protection…

The boy unfurled from his make shift ball, tiny pale feet sinking into the plush carpet of the room, the cover of the book hitting the floor with an audible thump. Then two pairs of five fingers curled over pink clad shoulders, gently pushing the fragile body aside.

"Zero?" Yuuki questioned in shock, her vision suddenly obscured by the boy's back, his silver strands shining like an angel's. She stood behind him, too stunned to comprehend why he had shoved her behind him. He was the one in danger, not her!

"This doesn't concern you." Zero bit out, using his form to shield Yuuki from the man's ever growing rage. From where he stood, he could see the man's wife—assuming they were married—tugging at his arm, pleading with him to just leave already. But the ticked off man was still shaking with anger, and the shaking grew more apparent with every minute Zero held his stare. He didn't think the guy would strike Yuuki, but he couldn't be too sure. He knew how people could be. He knew things she couldn't possibly understand.

He would never need such an ignorant girl's protection.

A gasp cut through his thoughts, then a sharp pain invaded his face. Blinking in muted surprise as his head whipped to the side, Zero blinked again when his cheek began to burn, the taste of something metallic coating the inside of his lip. A numbing pain spread along the taste.

"Apologize to my wife right now!"

The man demanded, his hand still in the air from when he had struck the boy in the face.

_Ah, so that was it…_

_He hit me._

Sliding out his tongue to lap up the blood that had beaded down his chin, Zero narrowed his stare into a challenging glower, his fingers curling into a fist.

"I said apologize!"

Zero's pallid mouth curled into an even tighter scowl, and that was the fuse which ignited the bomb.

Suddenly Zero's head was snapping every which way, blow after blow, raining down on his already crippled form. The once moon kissed flesh now an angry red. Zero never uttered a sound, gritting his teeth, while trying to not be thrown like a rag doll. He wouldn't back down; he didn't know how.

"Stop it!" Yuuki screamed, running forward to get between the fists and her precious friend, but when a fist came flying at her face, she squeezed her eyes shut in fear, her feet getting tangled in her dress, and she went tumbling forward.

Zero shot out his hand, jerking her out of harm's way, falling on top of her. Something akin to a boot crashed into the back of his head, and blotches of pain sparkled in his vision.

"What is the meaning of this!?"

The blows ceased to exist, and strong hands curved around his and Yuuki's forms, tucking them away in a warm embrace that left his mind in a puddle of confusion. Tilting up his head, the young boy blinked in shock to see sandy brown hair and cinnamon eyes staring down at him kindly from a pair of rimmed glasses. "Chairman?" Both he and Yuuki said at the same time, one full of relief, the other surprise.

"I can explain…" The man went to walk forward, but Kaien pinned the male where he stood with a glare that Zero didn't know he was capable of.

Tightening his arms around his bruised and battered children, the normally cheery caretaker became the definition of authority, "Leave this orphanage and never return, or I will press charges."

The minute the couple was gone, with spare cusses being tossed their way and the wife hiding her head in shame, Kaien set them down. His eyes full of sorrow and regret.

"Are you two alright?"

Yuuki sniffled, and nodded her head. But right after her innocent confusion came through; tremors became alive in her shoulders as a sob cracked through her throat. "Why did he do that? They were so nice…they didn't need to go so far."

If only she knew that it was always the kindest people who hit the hardest. Zero looked down, finding the floor to be a very vexing sight. Kaien noticed from the corner of his eyes, but didn't comment.

Kaien instead, wrapped his precious girl into a hug, trying to comfort the brunette.

"I'm going to go get cleaned up." Zero said after a moment, turning on his heel to stalk up the stairs to his room. Hollow and bleeding with each step he took, his touch ghosting over the sleek, polished railing.

"Ah, before you go, I need you to know that when dinner's over, I'd like to see you in my office, Zero-rin."

Zero paused, before nodding, and retreating into his room.

* * *

Ten minutes after dinner had drawn to a close, Zero stood patiently outside the chairman's office door, the after taste of the porridge they were given for supper lingering on his taste buds. No sooner than he arrived did the Chairman appear as well. With the usual friendly greeting sounding from the adult in the duo, they headed inside, the chairman grabbing a coffee and Zero taking a seat before the actual discussion began.

Kaien was the one to start. "At the rate you're going you are never going to get adopted, Zero."

Nails dug into the fleshy pad of his palm, and Zero glared at the blond. "That's fine with me."

Expecting that kind of reaction from the argent haired boy, Kaien rubbed his temples, letting his glasses slide down the length of his nose. "Don't you want a family?" Kaien asked in honest concern.

Zero tensed at the question, a sharp sting of pain that was impossible to ignore jostling his heart. Vulnerability and hurt making his fists loosen at his sides. But other than that, he provided the question no answer.

"You need to give people a chance. I know it must be hard after seeing your family murdered, but in the end, it'll do you good."

_I do, they don't give me a chance! _Zero screamed in his head, but on the outside, he just scoffed, looking to the side. "Can I go now?"

There was a moment of silence before the man in his mid-thirties nodded solemnly, and the young youth instantly straightened from his chair, his bangs drifting down to hide his eyes. Then he opened the door, and stepped into the barren hall, but not before a thought crossed his shattered mind, rejection coursing in his blood the longer he stood there.

"Zero-rin?" Kaien called in concern, which Zero couldn't stand to hear from anyone, let alone the eccentric man.

"I'll be dead before I get adopted." Zero uttered in a whisper, the venom of pain in his words injecting into the air. Cold fingers pulled the office door shut on the sound of Kaien's voice calling for him to wait, and he headed towards the Cross Gardens in an urgent pace. He needed to escape. Just for a bit.

The smell of the rain from earlier that day swept into his nose the minute he reached the outdoors.

Sitting on a bench amidst the flowers in the garden, Zero gently laid his throbbing skull against the back of a stone bench, staring up at the night sky above him, watching silently as the blanket of stars seemed to move across the world above him, each ball of gas twinkling like sparkles spread across the campus of the earth. The inky black paint of the night nothing compared to the bright brilliance the stars offered.

A comparison that could be likened to him and Yuuki.

While she was by his side, he would never be an option. To be honest, a part of him resented her for that. In the first days of him living in Cross Orphanage, if someone would have told him that any part of him—even the smallest part—could harbor ill feelings towards Yuuki, he would've bet his soul away that they were wrong. But now…

He was tainted, he lacked the innocence, the naivety, other kids had. Something Yuuki had in large quantities. He had lost his appeal the minute he saw red coat the walls of his home. And he knew, deep down, he would be left to rot here, to blend into the cream colored walls of the orphanage. The beginning to the end of his life.

No one wanted something broken; something bent and twisted.

Not even Holy Water could help him now.

. . .

That was how Kaien had found him, the lonely child, just a mere twelve years old, curled up on the stone bench, fast asleep, a hint of tear tracks still present on his face in the chilled night. With a heavy heart, he kneeled beside the boy he couldn't seem to reach, and brushed a few stray strands of silver away from his slumbering features. When he was like this, it was hard to imagine that the boy had lost everything.

Letting out a sigh, Kaien lifted the boy into his arms, setting off to his room to tuck him in bed. A protective feeling welling in his chest while he glanced at the watching moon,

"Please…someone help this child."

* * *

**A/N:** This was actually never a planned story, it was something I just randomly wrote at … 2am in the morning and just finished at 5:40 am. If enough people like this story, I'll probably start working on chapter two, and make this into an actual little project. If not, well I can say I had a random bout of creativity at least. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.


	2. A Winding Road

Chapter Two.

Rating: M.

Pairing: Kaname x Zero.

Warnings: Content may be sensitive to some viewers, includes, abuse to a minor, yaoi in later chapters and adult themes.

* * *

The bell of a clock tolled, the chime of metal ringing across the newly awakening sky.

Cool digits unfurled to lace around a blanket of white, speckles of moisture beading on calloused flesh as the pallid fingertips were pulled forward into an affectionate embrace. A twist of the arm, and soon it was being swallowed, unable to be seen in the vast cloud surrounding the area. The fog rolled onward, pulling the dark foliage of the trees in to hide their roots, melting in with the sway of grass, chilled with the freezing mist. Not a moment later, was it tugging on the edges of faded blue jeans, clawing at the fabric as it climbed higher up the length of denim. Numb and transparent, much like the growing apathetic gloss to amethyst orbs.

The denim stepped back, a glint of metal piercing through the dense landscape as Zero tried to scramble backwards, his tiny fits raw and bleeding as they hovered over his face in an act of self-defense. Silver lashes folding downward to mask his fear as laughter rang in his ears. "...Just as I thought..." Leaves crunched all around him, and the black ankle boots Zero adorned on occasion drew to his shivering body in haste. Why was he so numb? Why did everyone _hate _him? He peeked out from beneath his lashes to trail his gaze over the twisted grins hidden beneath the fog, cerulean eyes, smoldering brown, children's laughter, "you're nothing but a freak."

Salt poured into the bleeding wound, and one of the mist covered figures stepped forward, another glint of metal hitting the dawning rays of light. The pocket knife sitting proudly in seemingly innocent fingers, a misplaced angel. "What happened to your family? Zero? Did someone kill them?" The child flinched back in shock, steam rising in pools of pure hatred. He reached out to coat his fingers in the softening soil of the earth, pushing downward as he made his way to his feet.

"You fucking bast—"

"Or did you kill them?" Pain, sharp and sickeningly familiar, slammed into Zero's right thigh as his teeth cut into his bottom lip to cut off any reaction his traitorous voice would give.

"You did, didn't you? That's why you're the only one who survived! You freak!" Crimson dyed blue, warmth trickling down his leg as the pain shot deeper. Glancing down at the sharp edge buried inside his skin, Zero shot out his hand to clasp over the one covering the handle of the knife. Nails ripping through the other's flesh.

"Fuck off, Aidou." Zero hissed, before the blonde had time to open his mouth again, a pale fist was smacking hard into bone. A small body hitting the ground with an audible crash. That was all it took for the other two figures to run forward, two pairs of arms forcing their way around his thrashing frame. Surrounding the youth with their touch, the flesh long since cold and devoid of humanity. The touch…reminded him of that woman. Sharp animal descended claws tipped up his chin in horrifyingly slow motion as his lungs busted in his chest, begging him to run. Her long white threads of hair draping over his body in a promise for the forsaken, his mouth had opened in a silent scream. That white…peppered red with the blood of his family.

_**Why?**_

_"Never forget it was I who did this to you. Never forget the immense hatred you feel now, my precious boy…" _A coy smile, before cherry blossom eyes rimmed with sadistic pleasure lowered,_ "You, who shall become the embodiment of sin."_

_**Why are you doing this?**_

_"Kiryu Zero, my name is Shizuka Hiou. Remember it well."_

An elbow jutted to the side, limbs swinging in every direction as the grips on him grew tighter. "Get off me!"

With a palm cupping his bruised flesh, Aidou slowly rose to his feet, a sharp gleam in his ice blue globes as he spit some of the blood that had gathered on his tongue across the swaying grass. He watched mercilessly as the elder boy struggled against Akatuski's and Ruka's combined strength, and stepped forward, revenge spreading the deep black of his soul even further.

"Who do you think you are?" He asked as Zero's stone gaze clashed with his own.

Zero merely scoffed, his body slack for a split second.

Brows drawing inward, the young boy dropped to his knees and ripped the knife from the red pool it inhabited. The argent haired boy let out a hiss of pain and Adiou glanced upwards to share a look with his cousin; Kain, with a reluctant tension in his shoulders, merely watched as his derailed relative gave the signal. A nod of blonde hair, and the red-head was releasing his hold on the male. Only to slam him back against the bark, his expression masked as the sound of the blade slicing into the air sounded below him.

Zero refused to make a sound. Staring straight ahead, past the fiery red locks of a fellow orphan, Zero's throat went dry as his skin was torn with each brutal slash of the blade. He could feel the blood run in rivulets down his leg, but his mind had already clouded over. Another cut, and Zero recalled a faraway scream, a voice like his own, but softer, a phantom of someone who had admired him like no other. A lone lavender petal swaying in his mind's eye as he saw a happy smile, drenched with tears. Is this how Ichiru felt when he was being slaughtered? Not able to escape? Helpless?

Zero surveyed the trees standing at attention, looking past their large oak trunks as they watched him like armored soldiers. No matter how much he peered into the looming darkness brought on by the fast approaching blows littering his body-smaller and lighter than Adiou's, no doubt Ruka's-his alert irises couldn't detect a hint of life among the whisper of the wind, aside from those assaulting him. For a brief moment, he wondered if maybe they would kill him this time. Perhaps that was why he had left his room at five in the morning…maybe he wanted this to happen. A path to the end…

A stray leaf came up to brush against his cheek, and Zero's frown only deepened. Their voices became muted, their faces spotting black as Zero tried to hold back the moisture coating the corners of his eyes.

Two accusing lavender eyes pierced into Kain's and the latter felt his mouth go dry.

With his senses screaming a warning in his ears like a blaring alarm, the male quickly reached for something, anything, that would get him out the situation that was quickly getting out of hand. His fingers brushed against the satisfying weight of a rock, rough and barely touching his fingertips, as the digits wiggled and reached for the object on impulse. Steady fingers on a welcomed kiss of stone and silver locks whipped to the side as a timed punch landed dead on his temple. A brief twitch before the lost forest was cradling an unconscious boy, Kain's eyes wide as the battered body fell forward.

"Shit!" Adiou cussed from between parted lips as he took a step back from the boy.

"D-did we kill him?"

Harsh blue met Ruka's astonished-fear riddled orbs. "Don't be stupid! He's just unconscious! We need to get back inside before Cross wakes up!"

Not bothering to help the child they had just tortured, Ruka and Adiou quickly began to wipe the evidence of their deed on their clothes, before running with quick steps back towards the main building.

"Come on Akatsuki, hurry up!"

The breeze shifted forward and a sorrow fell over the feeling of tension in Kain's shoulders. Dark hatred mingling with guilt ripped forward to coat the youth's senses, drowning him in a feeling of self-hatred. No one would have to know he was at fault, but he would always know. He, who always aided in this boy's abuse. And he… didn't even have a reason aside from wanting to be close to_** her**_.

"Forgive me, Kiryu."

Silently, Kain wrapped his arms around the boy and as indiscreetly as he was able, and carried the boy back to his room. If anyone asked, it to simply insure they wouldn't get caught.

But as he closed the door behind him and headed to his own room, each step…made him sick to his stomach.

* * *

Tendrils of light, unrelenting and most certainly unwanted attacked Zero's eyes as his curtains were ripped open by a pair of demanding hands. Blinking at the harsh intrusion, a groan rippled from his parched throat in strained protest, nails digging into his legs as he propped himself into an incline with his elbows. For some reason, they felt bruised. A snake coiled over Zero's heart, constricting as images suddenly played in his mind. Laughter, pain, the hatred…

"Zero! You need to get up or you'll miss breakfast!"

Turning his head to the side, the male had to stifle a sigh at the sight of Yuuki standing in his room, her large brown eyes filled with concern as she began to nag him. Carefully pushing his body up further, hesitant fingers curled around the bed sheets that were damp with sweat. Was it all a dream…?

"Yeah, yeah. I know." He replied after a subtle cough grated at his throat. Swallowing, Zero had to hold back a flinch as Yuuki's hand came down to rest on his shoulder. Raising his gaze to hers, he watched her lips pursed in thought. Her brown bangs framing those eyes he both loved and hated.

"Hey…Zero…?" She spoke his name in a questioning manner, and a silver brow rose in question. Her finger skittered down to the front of his shirt, and he watched her silently…the way her chest hitched when her hand ran over a certain spot on his shirt. Confusion swirled with a hint of anxiety. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" A moth of confusion swept toward the light.

"You… you have blood on your shirt."

Ice prickled in his veins as shock stole his breath, a firm fist clamping down on his chest. Without removing his shocked irises from Yuuki, he subtly reached beneath the covers, a spider of doubt being squashed the moment his fingers glided over…

A glance away, then a soft ruffle to brown locks.

"It's nothing."

_Sloth._

The male pulled the covers over his head swiftly, and turned his back towards the girl, burying himself beneath the pile of blankets. Soft tuffs of silver hair peeking out from the fort.

"I'll come down later."

For a moment, there was no sound. Then he heard Yuuki sigh and the welcomed sound of his door closing echoed in his ears. When he was sure he was alone, Zero pulled back the covers, his hard gaze landing on his legs.

Dried blood caked his jeans, long gruesome tears displaying mauled flesh as pink, bubbled flesh, met him with a grimace. His sheets, also infected by the red that had overtaken his pants.

A dream, such a thing did not exist.

Zero just sighed, pulling out a worn-down book, the pages crumpled at the edges. Pressing his fingers against the hardened cover, he tried to pretend…it didn't hurt.

* * *

There was a soft crunching as two twin pairs of black dress shoes moved in a swift stride down bleak, surprisingly barren, streets. With the scent of a crisp autumn wind carrying seasonal spices and pumpkin along its fingertips, the taller of male of the duo silently trailed his gaze over the landscape presented to him. The winding path to the orphanage was nothing short of taxing, Kaname decided as the soles of his shoes glided over the concrete path. Gentle hums of a song in the distance played from the forest, slender digits pulling his messenger bag snug to his waist.

A clock ticked.

"So you're here to deliver something from your father to the chairman?" Takuma inquired with a smile as they walked side by side towards the grand double doors, his attention caught between his own curiosities and the manga resting between his opened hands.

Not sparing his best friend a glance, the brunette continued onward until he was directly before the door. "Yes, it would seem Cross is a good friend of my father's."

Sparing his friend a tilt of the lips, while the cheery blonde continued to read his beloved manga, Kaname raised his fist, knocking twice on the large oak frame. No sooner than when the knuckles laid a kiss upon the wood, did the door get pulled open. Five small fingers curled over the handle, and a girl that reached only to his chest stood awkwardly in the doorway. False light illuminated her blue sweater and long tresses as she greeted them with a timid smile. "Oh, can I help you?"

Finally putting down his manga, Ichijo peered up at the girl. Widened eyes before a blinding smile, "We're here for the chairman."

The little brunette gave a surprised squeak before stepping aside for the two to enter. "Then please come in! He should be down in a minute!"

An amused chuckle escaped Kaname, walking in behind his companion. Shoulders brushed and he watched as the cute girl gave him a soft smile, her cheeks bathed with pink as she tripped over her next words. "Oh um…" Child-like innocence, a butterfly that craved the light. Kaname's lips tipped into his customary polite simper, his hand clasping around hers when she offered it, her face bright like a lamp.

"My name's Yuuki Cross!" She introduced, his friend's enamored expression not missing his radar. The clock ticked again, and as he brushed away the lingering touch with a firm shake, he uttered his name in turn.

"Kaname Kuran, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. This is my friend, Takuma."

As Kaname turned to direct the attention to his classmate, his body was suddenly lurching forward. Silver locks brushed past his vision, and a body was pushed against his, partially shoving him aside.

The clock stopped.

"Can you move."

A shocked gasp pierced the stunned silence that had snaked around the forms in the foyer, an aggravated glower being shot across the silverette's face as Yuuki suddenly rounded on him. Her finger being jutted in his face, "Zero, don't be rude!"

"He was in my way." Came the calm reply before nimble digits were flicking the girl's wrist away, and legs were pull forward in a stride.

"Zero!"

The boy didn't cease his footsteps, and as he braced his hands across a coffee engraved door, the flower painted window leaving glows of red to spark over the unique silver locks, Kaname's eyes stabbed into his every movement.

"Hey don't walk away!"

The door was pulled forth with the gentle caressing wind, plants peeking out from the small space, before the boy twisted his head just a tad and vanished behind the portal as it swung on its hinges.

Yuuki visibly deflated. "Eh…" An awkward head scratch later, and she was turning to their guests, "I'm so sorry about him! That was Zero Kiryu, my friend. He…you see…Zero has it pretty rough here so please don't hold it against him!"

"I see."

Kaname continued to stare at the spot Zero occupied prior; before he had turned away…Kaname had seen it. The slow limp burdening his movements, the flawless porcelain skin, speckled with dirt that dampened its beauty.

**But what truly caught his attention was…**

"Is he up for adoption, by any chance?"

Yuuki blinked in shock, her lashes fluttering once then twice around her carmine spheres, then she was nodding her head eagerly. "Yeah... he's been here for a while!"

"I see." Came the same response as last time.

Takuma, who had his deep emerald orbs on his friend, tipped the edges of his mouth down in concern, "Kaname, is something wrong?"

"Nothing at all."

For the rest of the evening, Kaname kept looking for **sharp amethyst eyes.**

* * *

A/N: … I'm not sure if this came out alright, but I just wanted to say, I extremely hope it didn't disappoint. I was shocked beyond belief by the amount of followers I got for this story and I was pretty nervous typing this up, considering I don't want to let anyone down and all that jazz. Your feedback was greatly appreciated and I've decided to make this a multi-chapter series. Thanks very much for the support, and I'll have the next update in a month or two…knowing me, it could be whenever. We all know I **Suck **at updates.

*Sweat drops.*

Ah….and…

LOTSOFLOVETOMYREVIEWERS.


	3. A Goofy Man With A Plan

Chapter: Three

Rated: M for Mature.

Pairing: Kaname x Zero, eventual.

Warnings: Content may be sensitive to some viewers, includes, abuse to a minor, yaoi in later chapters and adult themes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or anything in relation to it. Nor will I ever.

**Important Note:** The first scene is a flashback. I thought I'd point this out to prevent any confusion with format.

* * *

_Nothing hurts more…_

_Than having no one believe you…_

_. . ._

Sirens echoed all around, the wave lengths bleeding into the dark canvas of the night sky while brushes of midnight mingled with the charcoal. The chill of winter floating from parted mouths as a lone kid stood in the center of chaos. Snowflakes, drifting downward in little messages of sorrow, vanishing against the upturned bridge of a small nose while the rest started to conjoin across heavy lashes.

Red and blue lights flashed, the streams of color highlighting Zero's pain stricken face. The rays reached across pale skin edged with dry blood to reside in lilac orbs that trembled with disbelief, and those orbs could only dull further as the officer's words echoed in his chest. A heartbeat filled with venom dripping down to taint the tears that refused to fall.

"_We searched every record… but we couldn't find anyone by the name Shizuka Hiou. Are you sure you heard the name right?"_

He had tried pry his mouth open to speak, but the functions for his jaw refused to budge and all he could do was watch as the officer sighed, tasting the blood pearl on his tongue when his teeth clamped down on the inside of his cheek. The sensation of his world toppling over on its axis when a hand was placed on his shoulder.

The large weight became imprinted in his mind and that weight would no sooner become associated with pain.

"_I know this must be hard. Get some rest and see if you can remember anything else."_

'_But I_…'

The words fell across Zero's mind in a shower of fragile white. Feathers, wholesome and full, hitting the ground with a splash of white locks.

'_Shizuka Hiou...she exists, she killed my family… It was her.'_

A stray feather coated with red, tore and melted against his lips, not letting a single word leave the domain.

He had been steered away, being gently pushed forward into the awaiting hand of a man with sandy blonde hair that draped around his face like falling threads. That same man had smiled at him. His eyes glossed with pity from behind clear lenses, just before he had placed an oversized coat over Zero's shoulders. _"Come with me."_ Sadness had been hidden in those words. But the silverette had only looked away, allowing the emotion to be brushed aside when they had begun to head towards a foreign vehicle. The footsteps, clear and overwhelming loud, bouncing off Zero's ear drums with each step he took. Steps that brought him closer and closer to shattering the simple peace he had once known.

A webbed crack beginning to form at the glass edge of his world.

The noise abruptly came to a halt and the stranger opened the car door. His body moved forward, but the claws of accusation reached out for his heels, gripping tightly so that all he could hear were the whispers that had started to socialize with the demons in his head.

"_Do you think…?"_

_"No. He's just a kid."_

_"Yeah, but he wouldn't be the first child to kill their own family. I mean look at him, he's freaky."_

_"He did just lose his entire family."_

_"Yeah and he didn't even cry. Seems a little too suspicious to me."_

_"Let's not jump to conclusions, alright?"_

Zero's gaze had shifted to peer over his shoulder, a lock of eyes solidifying while he took his spot in the car. A soft breath escaped to paint a small surface of the window, and the boy held the man's stare, even when the car had started to roll away.

_'I didn't kill anyone.'_

The crinkles of the man's brown eyes slanted into lines of judgment, and he grimaced, before looking away with a shake of his head. The tip of his police hat shifting downward to hide his features. As if he was hiding from the unworthy gaze of a monster.

The glass shattered.

Something moist and warm slipped past the cover of Zero's lids, a deep burning causing his spheres to grow sharp. That burning only growing in size as the road kept winding. Until nothing else remained except the blurred trees of the hovering forest.

'_**I didn't!'**_

* * *

"He didn't."

Kaien slumped back in his chair with relief; the blonde's glasses tripping down his nose to dangle on the edge. The glasses caught by a single digit shooting upward as he replied. "I'm grateful Zero didn't cause you any trouble then, he can be a bit of handful, that one."

A comfortable atmosphere fell over Kaien's office as its three occupants exchanged a look of agreement at the statement, the sunlight peering in through the window already shaded with the promise of nightfall. Sitting in the two chairs across from the rectangular oak desk, was Kaname and Takuma. And it was Takuma that commented back, flowers swooning at his smile. "He's definitely an interesting guy! But I don't think that's a bad thing."

The rim of Kaien's coffee cup hovered over his lips, the steam brushing forward in temptation, before the man made his decision. The cup was set down with a melodramatic thud. "I'm Zero and I'll toss you out a window if you look at me the wrong way!" With a fist in the air and swing to his step, Kaien plopped back down in his seat. "I swear he breaks all my stuff." Kaien informed, his tone affectionate while he pulled out a picture from the plains of non-existence.

Staring at the photo in his hands, he muttered. "You wouldn't believe the temper on that kid, hard to believe with how cute he is."

The sound of tray rattling rang from the opposite end of the room, and with it came a playful comment. "Don't let Zero hear you say that, he might get mad."

Three heads turned in the direction of the voice, the eldest perking up significantly. With a silver tray in hand, the girl gave a shy smile. "Oh my sweet Yuuki, you brought our guests tea! Thank you! Please join us, have a seat."

Yuuki, with a flustered look adorning her features, set the tray on a side table. Then her body was being placed in a chair on the left side of vibrant blonde locks, soft ruffles curling to tuck beneath her legs. Sea of carmine watching silently as the other two youths grabbed the drinks the chef of the house prepared.

One of the duo pivoted to face her. "It's nice to see you again, Yuuki." Takuma greeted, whilst taking a sip of jasmine tea.

A cough with the body of rattle snake resounded throughout the room loud and clear, and the other boy turned still into silence, just as Kaname placed his cup on the tray. Not taking a single sip. "Before we get even further off track…Chairman, this is for you, from my father."

Kaien was the first to recover. "Ah, yes, Haruka!" Taking the envelope between two slim digits when Kaname's presence loomed over his form, Kaien nodded his head. "How is he doing?" He asked, flipping through the documents the moment the pristine envelope was torn.

"He's been doing well, he just gained another contact to represent our company."

A flinch, barely visible, shook Kaien's body. "That Haruka, I never could keep up with him. But with a lady like Juri behind him, he's probably too scared to slow down."

Dark chocolate hair slid away from Kaname's lashes, the sword of twisted amusement doing its dance. "My mother knows best, or that's what my father would say."

The sword missed its mark on Kaien, the man merely laughed a jingle in agreement. Until his lids flared away from his eyes in surprise."…This is…excellent news! Tell your father I'd like to meet with him whenever he's free, it's been far too long. I'll even bake him my famous muffins!"

His brow twitched upward, curiosity aflame, before Kaname forced it away with the turn of his back. "I'll be sure to let him know… Takuma."

The blonde quickly jumped to his feet. "Coming, Kaname! Excuse us."

With confused expressions adoring both the Cross descendants' features, Takuma and Kaname made their way to the door. Halfway there, however, Kaname's legs came to a halt.

"Kaname?"

Lavender flowers slumped and on the verge of decay, bent forward to accept Kaname's caress. The vase it was captured in, covered with dust—neglect settling on the otherwise beautiful object.

"Ah, did you forget something, Kaname-kun?"

The pads of his fingertips trailed further along the petals, until they touched nothing but air. "No. However… something did just cross my mind." Kaname replied, two wine orbs shifting over to acknowledge Kaien. "About Kiryu, how long has he been residing here?"

A glint hit Kaien's glasses-shock a splash of caramel in his irises-when he cleared his throat. "Zero has been here for almost eleven months, it'll be a year when mid-December hits."

The contours of Kaname's face rang with warning, but as he closed his eyes, the fourteen year old's visage smoothed out into the illusion of a simper. "I see. That's all I wanted to know. I'll see you again, Cross. Have a nice day."

A palm hit oak with a loud smack.

"Actually, I just remembered something myself. I have something for Haruka, if you'd care to stay for a moment." An overbearingly bright grin stamped itself on Kaien's mouth. "Yuuki, would you mind giving Kaname's friend a tour?"

"Huh?"

The sunlit blonde blinked, eyes catching with Kaname's. There was a phase of silence before a soft "o" formed on his lips. Next thing Yuuki knew, a beam was directed her way. "Ah, yes! Before you came in earlier, I wanted to get a look around the place—it's a very well kept orphanage and my uncle has been thinking about adopting a child as of late. But if it's too much trouble…"

Brown eyes widened, and two petite hands suddenly cut through the air in sharp flails. The juggled girl flying to her feet, smacking herself in the face with her own hair during her rushed movements. "N-No! I can show you around, it's no trouble at all!"

Suddenly rows of pearly white teeth were alight in front of Yuuki's face, and with a soft squeak she was stumbling to catch up with the boy, two feet in front of the other in rapid succession as he started on without her. "Wait, ah, you're heading towards the bathroom!"

The door swung open and as her foot hit the edge of the room, brown locks twisted in the air to reveal large brown eyes turned Kaname's way.

Kaname gave her a gentle parting, "Have a good day, Miss. Cross."

A rose bloomed in the flesh of her cheeks. "Y-you too," she mumbled back, just as her head swiveled forward and she let out another noise of distress. The door closed on the sound of her feet padding across the floor hurriedly and a sheepish laugh that accompanied a request: "I want to see the library first, if you don't mind."

Kaname shook his head at the commotion, earning a chuckle to his right.

"You know…" Kaien started. "…you remind me a lot of your father. You're very polite."

And then, the light was sucked out of the room with a simple retort. "As expected, correct?"

Resisting the urge to frown, Kaien merely patted his pocket. "I wouldn't say that, your lineage just shows very well. But, AH, right this way…" He spoke, his feet guiding them down each corridor flaked with old age, wallpaper curling at borders. No words were spoken, just the sound of children's laughter and a bouncing ball echoing behind their forms. They didn't stop until they stood before a coffee engraved door with a flower painted window. Glass stained red and hues of green staring back at Kaname in the form of a delicate rose.

"Oh just head on in, I'll be back in a minute with the gift for your father."

Kaname opened his mouth to question the man, but as he turned, Kaien was already gone. Empty air grasping at where the chairman's presence was just welcomed.

* * *

The door pulled open with a startlingly loud creak, and Kaname's body grew stiff in the doorway. With fingers still pressed firmly around the handle, the brunet cast his gaze over the room filled to the brim with flourishing green leaves and sparks of color. Everywhere he looked- even in the dark shadows of the area-life brimmed in the tall fortress of plants held alive with flowers, small trees, cacti, and even a small assortment of Venus flytrap. The speckles of moisture floating in the air reaching out to tease his senses when he held out a hand to cradle the air heavy with water. "A Greenhouse…?"

There was a flash of silver, and then Kaname was being held at gun point with the barrel loaded in two amethyst gems.

"What're you doing here. This area is off limits to visitors." Zero growled. Sharp irises colliding with Kaname's stunned orbs. To the boy's chagrin the shock quickly dissipated.

"The chairman requested that I wait here… Kiryu."

. . .

Warm brown eyes watched from behind the stained glass window, the groove of Kaien's lips flat. "I brought a battered child as a souvenir…I sincerely hope you know to handle him, Kaname. "

* * *

**A/N:** AND CUT. Pft, but seriously, this turned out to be more a transitional chapter than anything else, but the next chapter will be out ... a lot quicker than usual because despite the fact there wasn't a lot of actions and scenes in this chapter—it's the set up for a lot of additional chapters. Not to sound weird, but everything in this chapter is important—there's a lot of hints—even the dialogue, specifically with Kaname. So, basically, I don't want this to be a letdown or boring—but I couldn't work around it. And any questions like: Is Kaname a vampire, etc, will be answered later.

Random fact: My favorite part to write was the flashback.

Hope to see some feedback, and I'll be working on the next update.

-KavanLostWings.


	4. Garden's Door

Chapter: Four

Rated: M for Mature.

Pairing: Kaname x Zero

Warnings: Content may be sensitive to some viewers. This story includes: abuse to a minor, yaoi in later chapters, possible religious offense, and adult themes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or anything in relation to it. Personally, I'm not interested in owning that plot-hole filled ship war.

_/_

_A flash of silver, and Kaname was being held at gun point with the barrel loaded in two amethyst gems._

"_What're you doing here? This area is off limits to visitors." Zero growled. Sharp irises colliding with Kaname's stunned orbs. To the boy's chagrin the shock quickly dissipated._

_"The chairman requested that I wait here… Kiryu."_

…_.  
Warm brown eyes watched from behind the stained glass window, the groove of Kaien's lips flat. "I brought a battered child as a souvenir…I hope you know to handle him, Kaname."_

* * *

There's a tempting caress of fire stone lips, a smoldering coal that rises from the ashes, and wrath's fiery kiss moves to press down into the smooth silk ends of Zero's wintery splayed locks—hovering just beneath his nape. A playful brush and it stays there mockingly; until the child that harvested its affection like a suitable host, twists his lips down with a scowl. There's barely a shimmer of hesitation, before a pale figure is pressing forward.

_Wrath._

The floor creaks with a push of scarred fingertips and the shorter male emerges to a stand. In seconds the wall Zero's side had favored seemed to croak with longing, already it begins to ache for his company, but a foot plants ahead and he abandons it anyway. Each burdened advance holds the type of grace one could liken to a wolf, guiding his limbs forward with cautious intention. The boy was smart.

Yet Kaname doesn't breathe another word.

Disdain, unlike anything Kaname had ever seen before, catches sangria flaked with garnet. The hostile burn temps Kaname to slightly upturn his lips into a poisonous smile. Elegance wouldn't be the first affiliation the elder would grant the boy colored with pastels of a fogged dawn, but the flutter of aggression that spills over Zero's lashes to splash over heated pools, sings of its own special charm. Rouge, untamed.

Kiryu Zero…dripped of challenge.

And the brunette's feathers ruffle to rise to the occasion._  
_  
"Well I don't care what that crazy coot said, I don't want you in here." Zero states in a hiss of sharp disapproval, hatred a pitiable swirl of amethyst. Kaname almost wonders what he did to deserve it, _almost._

Instead, the young brunette only frowns in fabricated disapproval, ruby content on watching the youth slowly unravel under his scrutiny. Out of the corner of his vision, Kaname sees a flower weep into a bend. The boy just makes a low hum of pity. "Is this how the children of Cross Orphanage behave?" The young teen muttered in such a silk, chiding way that Zero's youthful face momentarily looks more baffled than provoked. The imploring stare doesn't last long, however and just when that pale mouth opens with vengeance, Kaname cuts him off. "I'd thought they'd be more well-mannered, considering the circumstances. It seems I was mistaken. Tell me, Kiryu, is this place special to you? Or are you always so inclined to bare your fangs at strangers?"

The boy in question bristled, and those metaphorical fangs only flashed more noticeably. The anger which was barely kept at bay was painted in every plane of Zero's intolerant stance. Small fists curled into white sheets, furrowed brows and strained shoulders.

"Don't lump me with those demonic soul-sucking leeches! (Kaname's blush lips twitched at the creative insult) This place isn't anything spe—"As if suddenly catching on to his defensive outburst, Zero effectively brought the knife down on his own words with a growl. "I don't have to explain myself to you, _**you**_ don't have any authority over me. Just go away already." The boy retorted, anxiety creeping in the pitch of his tone that rippled with jittered anger.

It's then that Kaname takes notice. Thick lashes fold down over a smolder of wine, and the male of prestige is raking his gaze past the boy's amusing countenance, to settle on the silverette's legs that exude an exotic scent. Metallic lavender, he acknowledges, just as Zero starts to favor his right side, crimson peeking in shallow dots beneath the surface of his jeans.

The wounds…are seeping.

Kuran's gaze remains unchanged, but the room suddenly feels ten times more artic. A notice taken with a brisk shiver that runs down Zero's spine. At the base, the first snowflake blooms. "Correct, you don't have to explain yourself to me. However, I won't be leaving until I've finished what I came here for."

The undeniably inhumane child steps forward, Zero's foot slides back in turn. There's this sense of _wrong_, Zero can't place and immediately after he recognizes the sensation, there's this sliver of apprehension that jump starts the rapid acceleration. His heart hammers in his ears. Beneath its call of panic, is the faint echo of the pounding need to get away, and it tugs at his weighed down ankles. It eerily reminds him of the instinct that overtook him when Shizuka had cupped his chin, long, claw-like digits turning his head to the side, forcing to watch as _she….she…_

"_Zero…help…!"_

The stranger advances further and Zero decides he's had enough for the day.

'_I won't be your play thing'_

"Fine. If you won't leave, I will." With a pained 'tch', the boy's shoulder is colliding harshly with Kaname's for the second time that evening. The cloth crinkles with the faintest of sound, when Zero's limp of impassioned retreat is grounded to a halt. The hand that curls around his thin arm—it's no larger than his own, yet unfathomably strong—draws him to a stop.

Alarm bells pull the hairs on the back of his neck to an alert stand. The silk strands screeching in warning.

_Never forget the immense hatred you feel now._

"Don't touch me!"

_My precious boy._

Is the snap that a clip from Zero's enraged tongue demands, but it doesn't suppress that startled gloss that widens his lids when the stranger roughly jerks him towards the stone bench, the bone hued stone, brought to a contrast by vibrant blooming roses.

Before he can even hope to squirm out of the grip cutting off his blood circulation, the back of his knees hit the edge of the bench—and dread pours like iced lava over his stomach in the gentle 'clink' of a stir. Much sooner than Zero hoped, his body crumbles down to settle onto the bench with a sharp twinge, the blade of his shoulder hitting the back support of the stone bench with force. The sharp hiss of pain goes unnoticed when Kaname's other hand presses down on his other arm, holding him in place.

Zero's already prepared for the pain to come. He knows another beating sits at the horizon. But the child doesn't know whether to laugh, or just cry as he waits for it to be over. Gritting his teeth, he waits for the older kid to add another activity to his list of daily torment.

"_Apologize!"_

Waiting…

"_You're nothing but a freak."_

Yet the pain doesn't come.

"Don't do anything rash, such as kicking me in any unfavorable places. That seems like something you would do."

A blink flutters, and Zero's head is tilting down to follow the unnerving stranger's movements after the male makes no move to strike him. The request brings silver bangs to frame heavily confused lilac hues. Those small hands have released his arms from the iron cage, but now they rest, unwanted, on the curve of his knee caps.

Lilac stays on the hands touching him; the boy is too perplexed to provide commentary on his possible inclination to kick someone in their family jewels.

"**What** are you doing?"

The question hangs between them when Kaname's stare shifts upwards to meet his gaze from overly _pretty_ midnight lashes. And Zero is still too astonished at the fact that the brunette hasn't started to litter his disgusting existence with bruises yet, to really take note that an awkward teen around his age shouldn't appear that well-adjusted. It slips his mind that Kaname acts too 'well-adjusted' as well.

"You're injured. I'm merely easing the pain until the Chairman arrives."

Understanding sparks and then…

Little digits protectively reach out to hide the blood that has leaked through his jeans; those same digits push Kaname's hands away when the owner realizes the attempt is futile. It doesn't deter Kaname from watching curiously as Zero seems to tense up like wash board, the kind his house maids favor.

"I didn't…ask for your help." Is the only response the boy seems to be able to coax past his tongue, awkward, tense—it clicks that Zero isn't used to being fretted over.

The previous hostility dissipates from the otherwise condescending foe Kuran is able to conjure at the tip of a hat. Smooth palms retracting from tattered jeans, a suitable sacrifice for the way Zero glares at him in suspicion when he reaches full height.

"Indeed. Sit tight anyway, I believe I passed the infirmary on the way here."

Kaname is already half way to the door, when Zero speaks again. The focus of those remarkably hate filled eyes leave nothing to imagination as to where he's staring—the center of his back.

"... Don't bother. I'm going back to my room. I don't want your help."

Ruby flares, before burgundy peers at Zero's hunched form. The curls of brown locks hiding the displeasure from the sideway glance.

"I'd hate to have to bring attention to your injuries. I'm sure Cross and his daughter would be **heartbroken** at the discovery." Kaname warned.

Just like clockwork, Zero flinched. The boy's fragile shoulders are rigid like a drawn bow—full of tension. "Don't get them involved!"

The intricate designed greenhouse door is pulled open with a creak of its hinges, and Kuran's back is again the only sight that welcomes the twelve year old's stares. There's a pause and one last little smile that doesn't reach the brunette's eyes, before a simple, "Then, don't go anywhere" is uttered.

After the words are given with more than a grain of salt, the door shuts again with a loud thud—and the smell of the thriving plants surrounding Zero lose their sense of comfort. The clock ticks on by, five minutes slowly ticking into seven, but legs tinged with burning pain don't make a move to flee. Zero's body stagnant since his fickle companion departed, the orphan was content to stare at where the taller boy once stood. The gears in his head moving enough to make up for his body's lax state.

_Why…?_

The white shirt folds to encase Zero's wrists when his fingers slide out to gingerly cup the crisp edge of the bench, smooth nails scraping the material teasingly as his self-loathing bites into his neck with the poisonous fangs of a snake. There's a beat and silver lashes can't hide the way his brows draw together, and they can't hide the way he can't tear his gaze from the door.

For the first time since meeting Yuuki… the silverette was stepping into uncharted territory. The stranger's mocking words clashed heavily with the tender touch, and it didn't help that the kid had been unlike anyone he had ever met. Those soft features were unreadable—the opposite of the other children he had come to meet, hostile or not, they all were still brimming with a childish flare he lacked.

_"The chairman requested that I wait here… Kiryu."_

_That face lacked any innocence…_

Zero didn't know what to make of it.

One set of fingers slipped from the bench, to rest tenderly over the side of his neck.

_Why are you helping someone like me?_

* * *

Humidity, thick and overbearing in its contents, drapes leisurely over Zero's form, a pair of slipper adorned feet brushing against the floorboard for the third time this evening. Each subtle kick oozed boredom and the flickering lights overhead do little to appease the tipped back skull that watches the vibrancy of the room change consistency. Dully the boy was begins to wonder if everything that had transpired was a well-acted prank.

The minute hand makes another movement; officially fifteen minutes have passed since the guest had left the room.

The area stained with green is quiet, devoid of life aside from the towering plants, when the night inclined boy tips his head to the side, lilac spheres defeated as he waits for that door to open. It's in the blanket of silence, that Zero feels most at home. Silence was the welcoming disappoint that was a hushed thrum beneath Zero's wispy lashes.

Another noise sounds, mockingly, from the other side of the door and with the temptation of his demons slither out to play; he readjusts himself on the bench. One more minute and then he'll leave.

The argent haired child closes his eyes, his neck rested at an uncomfortable angle on the edge of the bench. The biting discomfort whispering that he should leave, but for some reason, he doesn't want to.  
Just a little bit longer.

_Maybe for once…_

Artificial light kisses Zero's vision when his lids part on the tell-tale creak of the garden's door. Steady footsteps later, and the boy is straightening—head swiveling to the left. Relief, unaccounted for, colors the silver flakes of his eyes with wonder and confusion, before it fades as easily as it came.

"What took you so long?" Zero mutters, watching Kaname advance with a medical kit in tow.

_The presence that put him on edge…_

"Please keep in mind, Kiryu, that I am not familiar with this orphanage." Kaname retorts after he's situated on the floor in front of Zero's legs, his formal slacks crunched as he crouches there.

_…Intrigues him._

The youth watches those slim fingers open the case with a snap.

"So…in other words," Zero starts, eyes still set on Kaname's fingers when the other looks up at him. "You got lost?"

The fingers pause, before they begin to rummage for what Zero can only assume is disinfectant. "Does that idea humor you?"

A dark brown bottle is grasped between calm fingers, and the seed of doubt is planted in the way Zero seals his mouth shut with a gentle rub of his lips. The question was harmless enough, curiosity an innocent chime of syllables that gave it a melodic jingle. But even so, the idea of humoring anything drags with it a deep sense of guilt, and soon Zero's gaze is shifted to the right. Claws of accusation a stain beneath his skin.

Ichiru…would never be able to laugh again. What gave him the right?

The flower under his gaze stares back at him, and Zero only offers the fleeting ghost a smile. An answer never leaves his lips.

Silence reigns, until blue jeans are being folded upwards to touch Zero's knees. Then, Kaname tries again. "I simply took a wrong turn." He offers.

Zero's palm moves down to block Kaname's hand from the other pant leg. "I can do that on my own."

There's a pause, before feminine lashes narrow with subtle annoyance, but the simper is polite as ever. Fingers take hold of the obstruction to his path and peach warms porcelain.

"I'm sure you could. Now hold this."

Furrowing his brows as the stubborn mule of a person basically forces two rolls of bandages into his grip, Zero is half tempted to toss them back. But after blue denim is bunched upwards, Zero remains mostly passive as the male sets to work.

The first touch of alcohol is painful, white teeth pearling together in a grind as the urge to connect his fist with the pretend nurse's jaw becomes present. It hurts, worse than when they were originally created.

"It'll be over soon." Kaname promises, and Zero's breath is little less rushed. Every flinch is soothed when the elder tenderly brushes over the searing wounds with cotton.

Swipe, clean, stroke, and bandage: the pattern repeats until the crimson that stained the flesh in dark contrast is a hazed memory.

After a moment of the unaccustomed touch lingering on the calf of his leg, Zero pulls away disgruntled. Kaname does the same, setting the materials to the side while Zero brings his pants down to cover his wrapped injuries. There's a moment of just hushed movements, which do little to settle the twelve year old's mind—when he notices the male's attention.

Kaname isn't putting any of the supplies away.

"What is it?" Zero asks reluctantly.

Kaname only drifts his gaze from his, down to his upper thighs. There's a prickle of surprise, and then Zero had to hold back the heat creeping up on his neck at what the gaze suggested. He may have been young, but he wasn't stupid.

"…. You're joking right."

To Zero's irritation, his company's features stood in marbled stone.

"Your injuries don't stop at your knees, I'm trying to finish the job. Now stop acting like a child."

Zero look scandalized. "Fat chance! I'm not taking off my pants in public let alone in front of some guy whose name I don't even know! I may be an orphan but I know stranger danger!"

Kaname rested on the back of his hands when Zero all but climbed further on the bench to get away from him. A soft breath of a sigh and Kaname observes the tips of Zero's ears churn into a faint cherry blossom. There was something explicitly cute about the words stranger danger leaving that boy's mouth.

Easing off his knees that ached from resting on the wooden floors for an extended period of time, Kaname merely replied, "Kaname Kuran."

There was a grumble, something akin to a choke of disbelief, before he heard Zero shuffle. Already sensing the losing battle, Kaname set to work on placing the items securely back in the kit.

"I'm still not taking them off. That's…gross…not wearing pants. I'll fix up the rest later!"

The bandages were placed on the far right corner and the box slid shut with secure snap, the sound buried beneath the rich laugh that was breathed under the radar. Zero wanted to smack the stupid smile off Kuran's face.

"Did you just laugh at me?!" Zero demanded to know, though he was already aware of the answer.

Kaname just smiled in turn, playing the oblivious card with skill. Zero didn't have much to go off of, but he was starting to think Kuran was a bit of a douchebag. "It's your overactive imagination. Anyway, I believe we're done here."

Scoffing, Zero stepped down from the bench his feet were curled against protectively. A shared glance between the two, a feeling of dread, and Kaname was suddenly facing the door with an impenetrable countenance.

"... Ah I sense something unpleasant behind the door."

The duo stiffened as Kaien burst through the door, the eccentric man heading towards them with a strange crackle of energy. Flippantly Zero wondered what had the man in such a good mood, but he decided against asking.

"AH! You are still here! I was afraid you'd have left. I apologize for the time, I had trouble locating the blasted thing but here it is! One specially delivered gift for Haruka!"

Two eyes slid shut, and if an aura could suffocate, Zero was surely being stripped of his oxygen supply.

"This is a birthday card." Kaname finally stated, the patience that had basked his form earlier entirely reduced to ash.

"Yes! Filled with love from yours truly! Haruka and I were best friends in the day, you know."

"Then you are aware, his birthday was months ago." Zero didn't have to look at the blonde to know he flinched—Kaname looked as if he would slit the male's throat. Blood coated claws, scarlet irises… the spider's web; it wasn't an image non-relatable to the brunette.

The wounds on his legs tingled in protest.

"No time like the present, nee?" Kaien answered in a nervous chortle, before turning towards Zero. Glasses lowered, and those brown eyes filled with warmth. "Oh Zero-rin! Isn't this a surprise? Have you been here the whole time?"

A shrug and his less than enthused boy found interest somewhere else. "I was just going for a walk."

Knowledge was the tease that eased past his lips. "Did you keep Kaname-kun company then?"

"I didn't."

"He did."

The difference in answer had Zero's pale cheeks blossoming into a faint brush of color, his lips pulled down into an irritated wave. The figure he would happily claim as his son if given the chance appeared more flustered than Kaien had ever witnessed. He could only hope that was good thing.

"So cute! Zero-rin, this is fantastic! You've managed to be around someone who isn't our dear Yuuki! You must be something special, Kana—OUF!" A slipper was hurled into Kaien's stomach, just as silver hair shot past his vision in an aggravated stomp.

"When I get old enough to do it, the first thing I'm doing is punching you!"

With that promise still ringing in the air behind the slammed cheery oak wood, Kaname released an exasperated sigh from his lungs while the self-proclaimed adult of the room started to weep.

"Was it something I said?"

* * *

When the madness had cooled down, Kaien and Kaname headed away from the room with a soft pitter-patter of steps. The entrance to the orphanage lay near, and when they came to a stop before it, Kaname's tongue dripped with the fruit of knowledge. The apple's sweetness was bitter on his canines.

"If you wanted me to meet Kiryu-kun, you could've handled that more professionally." Kaname pointed out in a simple rebuff of tactic.

That comment made Kaien startle, the glint of his glasses showcasing the widening of his eyes. Yet Kaname watched the man laugh gently moments later, unaffected by the fact his plan had been realized. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, the Kuran's are a family to be trifled with. Hm, regardless though, it seems you handled that fairly well."

Kaname hummed, but didn't say much on the matter. Burgundy glanced around before the male plucked his coat from the rack beside the main door. "I take it Takuma has left already."

"Yes, though if it's any interest of yours, he promised to be back next week."

"Is that so?" Kaname mumbled, finger elegantly tracing the buttons to a close.

Kaien watched fascinated by the sophistication that seemed to follow Kurans with a predetermined glow. Unnatural, but a simple truth. It was what had drawn him to that family in the first place. "According to my darling daughter, one of the orphans, Senri, has taken quite a shining to him. Takuma promised something of a pocky treat."

With a jacket completely clasped and his 'gifts' tucked safely beneath his arm, Kaname tipped his head back to regard Kaien with a nod. "Well then, I suppose I'll be accompanying him when the time comes. Keep the information from Kiryu-kun, I'd like it to be a surprise."

After Kaien agreed with a simple, of course and a suggestion to bring Zero a book, Kaname turned to take his leave. The sky was already bled in shades of nightfall when the leaves of fall crunched beneath his heel. Two steps forward, next a pivot.

"Oh, one last thing." A subtle turn of the head caught Kaien's attention, before the silky voice gave a simple order. "Please keep a better eye on what goes on with those demonic brats when you're not around. I don't expect to see Kiryu covered in blood again. Do I make myself clear?"

Kaien didn't try to hard his baffled stare this time around, looking down at the child who peered at him with authority. Juri had once given him the same look—and it had ended with him seeing a whole new side of the family he cherished.

Guilt formed and Kaien's finger entangled with his bangs subconsciously.

"I swear you and your father aren't human. But I will be more aware." Slouched shoulders pegged the elder man as defeated, and then the door shut behind Kaname with a disregarding gloss that missed the chairman's radar. A shake of brown locks, and his form melted into the ink, the ends of his coat shifting in the breeze.

At eight o'clock, Kaname Kuran was headed towards a book store.

* * *

**A/N:** What is writing? How do I write? Because god-dammit I've never been as self-conscious as I was with this chapter. I seriously need a constructive critic because my writing is a joke. *Angsting* Whatever it's here. Take it.

Anyway, things you should know: 1.) Senri and Takuma will be coming up in the next chapter. 2.) Yuuki has a stupid little crush on Kuran. 3.) Kaname is not going to add to Zero's abuse, for once, while in my hands. 4.) This is a story about healing and there will be a lot of screwed up themes before the good happens.

**5.)** _There will be a time skip eventually after the needed basis is covered **or** I can make the adult! Zero / Kaname into a seperate story after this part is complete. I'll leave it up to the readers. _

That's that. Oh and I won't bother promising for updates, since we all know by now I am a damn liar when it comes to that. I'll just pop out with some gibberish here and there, wave at my deadlines as they pass by (Takes Scarlet's quote with love), and hope you all like it.

\- *Dies of sleep neglect*


End file.
